Man gets 4 to 10 years in pet shop arson
A 28-year-old man was ordered to serve 4 to 10 years in prison Monday for his role in the Prince and Princess Pet Boutique fire.
Kirk Bills, who pleaded guilty in October to one count each of first-degree arson and attempted cruelty to animals, turned and apologized to a group of animal rights activists who attended his sentencing hearing.
“I wish I could take it back,” he said.
The animal rights activists, who have attended all court appearances for Lee and Bills, said they thought his apology was sincere.
“He gave me direct eye contact, and it almost made me want to cry,” said Gina Greisen, president of Nevada Voters for Animals. “For any animal advocate, there’s never enough time you can sentence someone for a crime like that. However, I do feel that he was remorseful for what he’s done. Hopefully he learns from this and is able to turn his life around once he serves his time.”
Last week, the pet store’s owner, Gloria Lee, was sentenced to 5 to 14 years in prison.
Prosecutor Shanon Clowers said Lee was the mastermind of the plot to burn down the pet shop for insurance money, and Bills was a “very, very integral pawn.”
Bills, a fledgling boxer, was arrested in Indiana several days after the Jan. 2014 fire.
Chief Judge David Barker, who gave Bills credit for 377 days served in jail since his arrest, asked if Lee had promised any monetary reward for setting the fire. Bills told the judge that he wasn’t promised money, but Lee “gave me a guilt trip” in convincing him to commit the arson.
“My vision has always been that you walk hand in hand, and I saw no reason to deviate from that,” the judge said. “You’re the one who chose to light the match.”
Bills told the judge that Lee said she was going to turn off surveillance cameras at the pet shop. But prosecutors said last week that she actually unplugged an Internet cord.
Prosecutors say Bills and Lee can be seen on a video from the pet shop that shows a woman letting a man with dreadlocks into the shop. The man splashed gasoline and kerosene onto the animal cages and tried to start a fire as the woman pulled documents from the business and collected empty fuel cans before the fire was set.
The blaze was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler system in the store, and the dogs survived unharmed.
Bills said Lee told him the dogs were inside fire-proof cages, and “the dogs weren’t meant to burn.”
Lee and Bills were originally charged with 27 counts of attempted animal cruelty along with burglary and arson in connection with the fire.
While Bills pleaded guilty to only one count of animal cruelty, the charge represents every dog that was inside the pet shop.
The case drew national media attention after videos of the fire and the puppies were released. Animal rights activists protested outside the courthouse, demanding harsh penalties.
The county took charge of the 27 dogs, which included 25 puppies, and the Animal Foundation adopted out the young dogs via the Arson Puppy Adoption Drawing, which sold $250 raffle tickets.
The two adult dogs were placed in foster care through the animal rescue A Home 4 Spot.
Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker
